As coronavirus spreads, surgical masks run short throughout Amarillo

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) -Amid the coronavirus outbreak, surgical masks and cleaning products are selling out fast throughout the United States and other countries.

© Provided by Amarillo KFDA-TV Shortage of masks as Coronavirus spread( source: kfda)

People all around the world are purchasing masks, including here in Amarillo, in hopes to protect themselves from the virus.

After searching from store to store throughout the city, almost all masks have completely sold out.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that people in the United States should prepare for outbreaks across the country. As more reports of coronavirus cases are reported, the demand for masks continues to increase.

“Nationwide, right now, everyone is out. We get quite a few requests right now, and unfortunately, we as well are out of stock,” said Josh Britten, owner of Britkare Home and Medical Supply.

Britkare, Walmart, CVS, Lowe’s, Walgreens, locally owned pharmacies, and many more medical supply stores are all sold out of masks with vendors telling them they don’t know when they will be able to re-stock.

“We have many vendors we work with, we have called multiple, and they are all out of stock as well. It’s kind of a concerning thing, when the largest distributors are also out of stock,” said Britten.

I spoke with Walgreens, who said, that as of right now, none of the Walgreens’ in Texas will be receiving any more masks. Most vendors are shipping out their product to the east coast, west coast and to hospitals where they need them the most.

Some people are turning to auto parts stores in Amarillo, but as one says, they have been out for over two months.

“Normally we carry a very simple fabric one that works for dust when you are sanding and painting. It’s just a simple one that fits around your nose and mouth. We have been out of that for a few months now," said Dennis Hoffman, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store manger . "I have heard through 3M, who makes ours, that they have been out of stock now some time too.”

The CDC says that face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of coronavirus to help prevent spreading of the disease. The use of masks is also crucial for people taking care of someone in close settings at home or in a health care facility.

The World Health Organization also emphasizes that masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

There are specialized masks, known as N95, that are more effective because they filter out more than 95 percent of airborne particles.

Masks have been selling out since fears of the coronavirus began spiraling over the weekend, and they rank number one among the top-selling household products on Amazon.

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